37 Weeks - The Yummy Mummy Project

So it's been a while since I last blogged, 14 weeks to be precise and as you can imagine a lot has changed since then.

At 37 weeks I am now firmly into the 3rd trimester with only three weeks today until due date. With that comes some common pregnancy whinges and moans (bloating, heartburn, swelling of hands and feet, tiredness, occasional braxton hicks and back ache and just a general feeling of being GINORMOUS!) still I know it will all be worth it in the end.

When you wake up in the morning and feel like you need a nap within a couple of hours of being up it's hard to find the motivation to put on decent clothes, let alone makeup and do something other than a quick pony tail with your hair! 

I have my cousin's wedding reception on Saturday evening so this afternoon I have tried on the remaining dresses that still fit me and sent pictures to my mum to get her opinion. She said that she liked them all but did I have any preference?, to which I replied "I think either of the black ones as they're more forgiving / slimming" which she found highly amusing coming from someone so heavily pregnant but hey I need all the help I can get at this stage! 

This impending family occassion has in part led to me today resolving (once again) to make an effort. In the next three weeks, or however long I have until baby decides to make an appearance, I will use the mornings to get up and make myself into a "Yummy Mummy" even if I have no plans to leave the house. I might not have this luxury once baby arrives and so want to make the most of this "me time" not just for me but also for by poor hubby who keeps coming home to me in sweats / leggings with no makeup on and hair scraped back.

I decided to start as I mean to go on so writing this I am fresh out the shower, hair washed and ready to be tackled into something more creative than a messy bun. Tonight I will also paint my nails in a nice bright colour and pick an outfit to wear tomorrow.

I guess this post is just a reminder to make the effort while you still can, even if you can't get used to seeing your new pregnant shape staring back at you in dresses big enough to house a couple for a camping trip ;-)

Back soon 

D x

Bump on Board...

I think it is now safe to say at 23 weeks I am very noticeably pregnant, yesterday on the way home on the train a lady got up and offered me her seat. I didn't really know what to say so just thanked her and sat down.

It's quite amusing how people tend to change towards you once you are visibly pregnant. Yesterday I also had a colleague who hadn't seen me for a while point at me looking shocked and make a gesture about how big my bump has got.

People also seem more keen to talk to you when they know you are pregnant, it seems to be mainly those people with children, I guess because they feel like you have something in common now but I do find it quite amusing when colleagues I don't speak to very often come up to check i'm ok and ask how i'm feeling.

Back Soon

D x

Week 22: A Week of Ups & Downs...

Time for a weekly summary and week 22 of my pregnancy has been a mixture of ups and downs. 

The ups of the week include going to the Baby & Toddler show and finding the travel system for our little one, deciding to get active and go out walking most days this week and making more effort with my hair and makeup. I've felt like I have more energy this week which is nice too.

Downs of the week really only includes yesterday. The day started with missing the train in to London (the conductor shut and locked the doors as I was trying to get on and he was looking directly at me) which left me crying on the platform on the phone to my hubby. I felt like a complete muppet but couldn't hold back the pregnancy hormones lol. Hubby then tried to get my makeup to me before the next train left so that I could fix my face up again but ended up at the wrong train station bless him.

I'm not going to lie, i'm an emotional eater and when i'm upset / stressed I turn to my favourite foods. This meant not a great day of eating, finishing with a bar of galaxy chocolate and a fish and chip takeaway.

However I am learning to deal with this in a better way, in that I woke up this morning and instead of punishing myself by feeling guilty about yesterday I am drawing a line under it and taking the approach that "today is a new day".

Back Soon

D x

Feeling Frumpy?!

In case you, like me, have been feeling less than glamorous recently I thought I would share a few items i've purchased that will hopefully see me through the spring / summer months.

Let's face it, it can be hard to feel fashionable and attractive in maternity clothes when you're suffering from back pain, swollen feet, heart burn, insomnia and the list goes on... HOWEVER I have fallen in love with so many items from Jo Jo Maman Bebe. I was recently treated to the above denim jacket and harem trousers from their store which I have teamed with a black maternity vest from Next. This outfit is fashionable but still comfortable and will be great for travelling in when I go on holiday next month.

If you have a wedding or event coming up in your later months of pregnancy I can't recommend Jo Jo Maman Bebe enough. It's one of the few brands where you can actually go in store and try on a large range of different clothes and I know that the lack of this is one very common complaint among us "preggos".

I bought the below maxi dress to wear to my cousins wedding reception at the end of July but will no doubt get plenty of wear out of it before then. I love the fact it can be dressed up or down and it is so comfortable. It's also a nursing dress which is an added bonus so will come in very handy once bubba is here.

If you've found any maternity brands worth sharing let us know in the box below.

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D x

Baby & Toddler Show

This weekend we visited the Baby & Toddler Show at Sandown Park. We were completely disorganised and had no idea what we were looking for until the journey there, but we still managed to have a fairly successful day anyway. We also managed to grab quite a few freebies thanks to the help of our parents!

The show was very popular which did unfortunately mean you had to wait a little while, especially at the pram stands in order to see a member of staff and have a demo of their products. I think we now know everything there ever is to know about travel systems after receiving a demo from nearly every brand there, but we finally made a decision and went for the Baby Jogger City Mini GT with a Maxi Cosi CabrioFix car seat.

We went for this combination as although there were cheaper brands / deals to be had at the show the quality did not feel as good. However there was also nothing that the more expensive brands offered that the Baby Jogger didn't do, plus it looks nice!

 I would definitely recommend going to a baby show / event to try out the different brands when it comes to prams. It's something that you will no doubt use so much once baby is here and when looking online it's really hard to tell the quality and how easy they are to fold down etc. The other thing we liked was that we could choose to have the pram delivered the month before baby is due which works really well for us considering the nursery is currently full of office furniture and random other items we've accumulated!

One thing to make sure you do at the shows before buying ANYTHING is go away from the stand once you know the show "offers" and check online. We looked at the Manduca Baby Carriers at the Cheeky Rascals stand which were on offer reduced from £99 down to £80. However when my hubby checked online we found that they were actually £70.99 on Amazon! Safe to say we ordered from Amazon instead, every little helps as they say.

As well as the bigger more essential items there were of course plenty of other smaller items on offer at the show. My parents couldn't resist buying baby's first Christmas present while we were there which was a fab book from Usborne Books called The Wind Up Bus. There is of course a story through the book, however every other page has a track that you can send the wind up bus around. You can also removed all the track pieces from the book to build one big track. I can see this book being great fun for years to come!

Overall I think the Baby & Toddler show was worth the visit. It was also a great way for us to get the "grand-parents to be" involved as well but make sure you are prepared to spend a full day there.

If you've been to a baby show / event recently and have any other tips / tricks why not let us know in the comments section below.

Back Soon

D x

Taking time for you...

If you're pregnant / ever have been pregnant you probably know what it feels like to lose your motivation for eating healthy and exercising and start taking full advantage of "eating for two" (unless you're a magical pregnancy unicorn of course!).

I've been in this boat recently but have finally decided to do something about it. It seems to me that the key to sticking to a healthier diet (note healthier not healthy, life's too short not to indulge sometimes ;-) ) and exercising more regularly is if I already feel good. If I feel good, then I want to keep feeling good and it's a great big circle. 

So today when I got dressed, I gave myself a bit more time to do my hair and makeup and do you know what I feel much more glam than I have done recently. I put on a more fitted top as I tend to find I feel bigger in loose / floaty tops (and let's face it who wants to feel BIGGER when they are already expanding at thew rate of knots during pregnancy?!) I've also managed to avoid the chocolates and sweets and have even been out for a walk.

My tip for today therefore is when you're feeling a bit frumpy or you've overindulged for a few days, do the opposite of what you feel like doing. Spend some time on you, whether it's trying a different makeup style, having a warm bath with a face mask to relax or grabbing your other half and going for a walk in the evening.

Share your tips below in the comments.

Back soon.

D x

Kicks 'n' Wiggles

Hi and welcome to Kicks 'n' Wiggles, the pregnancy and life style blog!

I decided to start Kick 'n' Wiggles during the second trimester of my pregnancy with my first baby, now that I finally have a bit more energy and motivation!

I want this blog not only be a personal outlet for me (whether it's struggling with pregnancy related symptoms, trouble staying motivated or simply places I've been or things I've found and want to share) but I also want other mummy's to be to take something from it too. To know that you're not alone when you wake up at 4:30 am and can't get back to sleep, or you can't find anything to wear for that up coming event and you end up crying in a pile of clothes.

As well as my own blog posts I will share any interesting articles I find, websites I like and people who inspire me.

I will start by sharing the below article from this weeks' Sunday Times that highlights just how much a mum has to earn in order to make ends meet, all the while missing out on vital time with her child / children:

Sunday Times - Back-to-work mothers face life in the red

Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Back soon!

D x